The steelman case for Proton is that looks like most legal orders for info do not result in arrests, showing that what they have is not that valuable in the first place. In the few instances it leeds to an arrest, it's news.

People should not use email at all for sensitive stuff or if they want anonymity. Email nowadays should be just to use services that require one. 

 I agree. 

i worry that bitcoin as a protocol could suffer the same fate.

That even if you want to act privately - you have to interact with people that don’t - so it’s all for nothing.